Category Archives: USA

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Dark Apparition

Tuesday, 24 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Stout brewed with brown sugar & aged in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The hauntingly good brew in your hand is rife with dark complexities. Seven malts were used to create deep flavors of coffee, chocolate, caramel and molasses. A hint of bitterness and herbal character from carefully selected European and American hops help support the monolithic maltiness. After conditioning in stainless steel, the beer was transferred into bourbon barrels. For 8 to 12 months, Dark Apparition waited patiently in oak barrels until the time was right to spring forth with its ghostly gusto. A truly decadent brew that is intended to be poured into your favorite snifter and given time to warm up from its dark and cool resting place.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.59
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 375ml bottle of 2015 vintage and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a deep dark black colour with a thin khaki head that dissipated almost just as quickly but leaves some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong bourbon, sweet brown sugar, chocolate fudge brownie, molasses and vanilla.
Taste: Starts with sweet molasses followed by bourbon and dark chocolate with some light toffee, caramel and coffee.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation and a warming alcohol feel.
Overall: A very good Russian Imperial Stout with a nice hit of bourbon that is strong but not harsh and nicely complemented with chocolate, caramel and coffee flavours. I would definitely buy this again.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, IPA - Black, Surly Brewing Company x Three Floyds Brewing Co. x Real Ale Brewing Company, USA

Surly x Three Floyds x Real Ale Blakkr

Saturday, 14 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Surly Brewing Company x Three Floyds Brewing Co. x Real Ale Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9.99%
Style: American Black IPA
Other Notes: Collaboration beer. Surly version.

Brewer Description: (from can) This double black as night IPA is too massive for just one brewery’s efforts. BLAKKR took the trinity of Real Ale Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co. & Three Floyds Brewing Co. to actualize this crushing ale. Cheers.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 1 pint can canned on 26th January 2016 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark dark brown colour with an orange hue and a slightly less than one finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice lacing.
Aroma: A mix of piney and citrus orange hops and roasty dark chocolate.
Taste: Starts sweet-ish citrusy orange followed by caramel malt, light roast coffee and chocolate plus a hint of char before ending with a lasting pine and juicy citrus light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: A nicely balanced Black IPA that hides it’s high ABV well.

4 - Good (buy), Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Gose - Fruit, USA

Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose

Thursday, 12 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Gose – Fruit
Other Notes: Malt – Pale Two Row and Malted White Wheat. Hops – Bravo.

Brewer Description: (from website) Born from our passion for experimentation, our Briney Melon Gose boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon flavors and aromas. Gentle additions of sea salt create a refreshing harmony between the acidity and fruity sweetness leading to clean, dry finish.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with either a best before or canned on date that is not legible but should still be good. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden colour with one finger white head that dissipated quickly but left some stringy lacing.
Aroma: Lightly sour, a bit tangy with a hint of honeydew melon.
Taste: Salty, definitely salty and lightly sour before a nice refreshing kick of honeydew melon and watermelon. The finish is a light lasting sourness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: I wasn’t impressed with my first sip, but I think I grew to like it more and more. Refreshing and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Brown Ale - Imperial, Clown Shoes Beer, USA

Clown Shoes The Barista

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Brown Ale – Imperial
Other Notes: Brewed with Espresso, Oatmeal and Milk Sugars. Brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Clown Shoes legend, Brown Angel, put away her dancing shoes to focus on extracting espresso, brewing coffee, and pouring latte art with zen-like focus. The Barista Breakfast Brown is crafted with Maris Otter malt, flaked oatmeal, cold brewed espresso, milk sugars and the spirit of angel wings.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl oz bomber bottled on 18th January 2016 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with a darkish orange hue and a slightly more than one finger khaki creamy head that had decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty espresso and brown sugar with hints of hazelnuts, almonds and chocolate milk.
Taste: Sweet-ish brown sugar, toffee and cacao nibs. Espresso was there but surprisingly not as much as expected considering how strong it was in the aromas. There was also a light nuttiness in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was pretty good. The aromas were nice and the taste was pretty good although I was hoping for more coffee. On top of that, it was pretty light bodied whereas I was expecting something thicker and closer to being mid to full bodied.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Imperial Red Ale, Beer Reviews, Clown Shoes Beer, USA

Clown Shoes Evil Crawfish

Monday, 9 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Other Notes: Self styled Imperial Red India Pale Ale. Brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Once upon a time a man walked into a bar where a friend of ours was tending the taps. He tried to order an Eagle Claw Fist, but got it wrong, and asked for an Evil Crawfish. When we heard the story, after much laughter, we knew one day we’d make the beer. Finally, here it is, built off of ECF, but cleaner, meaner, less bitter, and dry hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.76
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 22 fl oz bomber bottled on 20th January 2016 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear amber copper colour with a slightly less than two finger off white head that had pretty good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet biscuity caramel malt followed by some juicy apple, plum, pine and grass.
Taste: Starts with nice sweet malt with caramel and biscuit notes followed by prune sweetness. Bitterness comes through on the finish with pine, grass and orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with slightly less than moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was well balanced for me. It’s not my favourite style but this was pretty good with its nice lasting bitterness.

words of another dreamy traveller